"Lord Runsheng, stop up ahead."
Runsheng halted his tricycle, leaning forward to pull the brake handle.
Li Sanjiang fished out money from his pocket, not bothering to count it, handed it to Runsheng, "Go buy some buns over there, then head to the store next door and get me a bottle of wine."
"What, drinking wine early in the morning?"
"Just go, why so much nonsense."
"Okay."
Runsheng returned with the buns and wine.
Li Sanjiang used his teeth to pop the bottle cap, flicking it open before taking a big gulp.
"Gulp... ahh..."
The kick of the morning drink was too strong, forcing him to bite into several buns just to mellow it down.
"Why aren't you eating?"
"Grandpa, I left in a hurry this morning, didn't bring incense."
"Then why buy so many buns? They'll turn cold on the way back."
"They're still good cold, these are meat buns after all!"
"Let's go home, head home."
"Alright, sit tight! Don't fall off while you're enjoying that drink."
Li Sanjiang shot him a sideways glance, taking another swig from the bottle. Just when he wanted to bite into another bun, he belched loudly, suddenly looking forlorn, tears welling up in his eyes. He turned his head, pulling Runsheng's vest to wipe them away.
Runsheng glanced back, "Grandpa, aren't you supposed to be happy? Why are you crying?"
"Happy? Yeah, right."
"Didn't Little Yuan finally get registered under your household, Grandpa? Isn't that something to be happy about?"
"My household register is useless, can't compare with a city one, even less a capital city one, can it?"
"What's wrong with the capital city register?"
"What's wrong? It's like a fish that jumped through the dragon gate, only to fall back down and turn into a fish again."
"Being a fish is still good, this way Little Yuan doesn't have to leave."
Li Sanjiang sighed, lifting his hand to slap himself twice on the face.
This morning, the village chief called him to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Once there, several staff surrounded him, papers laid out, saying it was requested by Little Lord Yuan's mother, transferring the child's register to him.
At that time, he felt completely baffled. Though he truly liked the child, he couldn't bring himself to do anything that would jeopardize his future!
But they insisted, saying Little Lord Yuan's mother had some sort of trouble, and the child's register issue had to be settled. If he didn't sign today, the papers would be sent back, and Little Lord Yuan would end up without registration, unable to attend school.
With the alternating of good cop, bad cop approaches, Li Sanjiang signed the paper in a daze.
Though he had been drinking, the fresh air seemed to clear his mind a bit. Even if the boy wasn't wanted by Grandfather Bei, at least the register should be under Li Weihan. What sense did it make to put it under him?
Though the boy was staying with him now, what did it have to do with him?
Well, now it had everything to do with him.
Li Sanjiang lowered his head to look at the bag at his feet, which contained the household register and other documents.
"Why on earth did the public office work so efficiently today?"
Taking out the household register, he opened it to look at the new name added under his lineage.
Li Sanjiang felt a mix of emotions. The old Li family finally had a golden phoenix that flew to the capital city and laid an egg, but that egg had rolled back home:
"Sigh, worked hard for decades, back to the starting line overnight."
...
"Just one night, and everything returned to the way it was."
Liu Yumei held a teacup, though the tea had gone cold, she didn't drink.
Looking at her granddaughter sitting motionless on the doorstep, she only felt bitter in her mouth, and drinking the tea made the bitterness worse.
Last night, she wept tears of joy. Had she known, she'd have saved some tears. Now, she couldn't even cry if she wanted to.
Looking up at the second-floor terrace, the boy was sitting in a wicker chair, engrossed in a book, occasionally glancing down at Ah Li.
Liu Yumei was frustrated: You little boy, don't just look!
If it were just a normal tiff among children, where they huffed and said, "Hmph, I won't play with you anymore!", and then ignored each other out of spite, it would be common and normal.
But Liu Yumei knew such things wouldn't occur between her granddaughter and that boy. The boy was too smart and steady to do something so childish.
So, what had happened between them?
After hesitating for a long time, Liu Yumei stood up and walked into the main house.
Normally, she wouldn't enter there, let alone go upstairs, but today she had to make an exception.
Watching Ah Li's everything getting steadily better, only to suddenly revert to the initial state, her heart felt like a stone heated until burning, then doused with a bucket of water, almost breaking with pain.
She had to ask what happened. It wasn't that she was biased, always seeking out the boy; if she could get a word out of Ah Li, she wouldn't need to stay here.
As she approached, the boy stood up, book in hand.
"Little Yuan, Grandma wants to have a word with you."
"Grandma, please have a seat."
Yumei sat down on the wicker chair that used to belong to Ah Li, the corner of her eye catching a glimpse of the book in the boy's hand, finding it completely unreadable.
"Reading, huh?"
"Yes."
Li Zhuiyuan politely set his book beside him, half-turning to listen attentively. Yes, he had just been reading the 'Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique.'
"What happened between you and Ah Li?"
"Grandma, it was my fault."
He suffered a heavy blow last night due to what Li Lan said on the phone.
Li Zhuiyuan looked down at his bandaged hand.
He was Ah Li's balcony, the place she mustered the courage to come out from the darkness, cautiously observing and engaging with the world.
Yesterday, Ah Li discovered bricks appearing on the balcony, indicating it might be sealed off.
It was hard to imagine the despair the girl felt last night when she saw the self-inflicted wound on his hand.
She had self-confined in the darkness of a dry well, with a rope lowered one day and someone at the top consistently talking to her. Just when she was about to climb up, she found that person, who always encouraged her, was now coming down the rope.
Li Zhuiyuan understood that because the girl had once been entirely focused on him, his descent was a greater hurt to her.
No, she came last night not because she feared his downfall but because she couldn't bear his giving up.
Like Li Lan, she couldn't accept someone simply quitting and abandoning oneself.
Her eyes, once filled with light because of him, had been dimmed by him last night.
"There's no point in focusing on who was right or wrong now. Grandma would like to ask, Little Yuan, is there still a way? Can you bring Ah Li back to the way she was, as she was a few days ago?"
"There is."
Liu Yumei was visibly excited, "Really, what do you have to do?"
"I can't do it right now, Grandma, I need time."
"You need time... for what exactly?"
"Studying."
"Studying?"
Liu Yumei frowned a little, suspecting the boy was playing with her. Then again, she realized it made sense; she remembered the boy reading on the second floor before, and somehow Ah Li started approaching him on her own.
Could it be her granddaughter liked scholarly boys?
Liu Yumei pondered if it was because she liked dressing Ah Li in ancient clothes and reading old tales like 'The Romance of West Chamber.'
"Grandma, Ah Li has already gone back indoors."
"What?" Liu Yumei looked down and saw Ah Li still sitting behind the doorstep, completely motionless, "Isn't she still there?"
"We need to find a way to call Ah Li out again so I can apologize."
Liu Yumei found it difficult to understand, but seeing the boy speak so logically, she inexplicably felt reassured.
"Well then, keep reading."
"Okay, Grandma."
Liu Yumei went back downstairs.
Li Zhuiyuan picked up the 'Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique' again. The characters in it were like gibberish, moving his gaze away for a moment, and he'd have to start feeling it all over again. Otherwise, he simply couldn't make sense of it.
After reading another page, as he flipped, Li Zhuiyuan glanced down at the girl.
Despite the girl's sudden "departing," he wasn't upset at all. On the contrary, he loved being needed.
Finally, he had a mask he couldn't easily take off.
Li Lan, what you failed to find, I've found.
Back downstairs, Liu Yumei felt somewhat lighter and brewed herself another pot of tea.
Right at this moment, Runsheng pedaled up on his tricycle.
"Grandpa, we're home. We've arrived. Grandpa, wake up, wake up."
Liu Yumei stepped forward to inquire, "What's the matter?"
"Old Grandpa got drunk."
"Oh, was he out drinking early?"
"He got drunk just drinking." Runsheng pulled out an empty wine bottle from the cart, tipping it downwards. Not a drop left.
"Carry him upstairs then."
"Okay."
Runsheng grabbed Li Sanjiang's shoulder with his left hand, following his right hand's motion. As he jiggled, Li Sanjiang ended up on his back.
"Who taught you to carry someone like that?" Liu Yumei asked.
"Uh, no one taught me... after carrying enough bodies, it just became a habit."
"Next time, don't carry like that, it's quite unlucky."
"Yes, I know."
Liu Yumei waved her hand, dispelling the alcohol smell, simultaneously motioning for Runsheng to carry him inside quickly.
Runsheng rushed inside, taking him up to the second floor all at once.
Liu Yumei returned to her table, habitually pinching her teacup between her index and ring finger.
As she raised it halfway, the cup body swayed, yet not a drop of tea spilled.
Liu Yumei was surprised:
"Eh, it got refilled again?"
...
"Little Yuan, help me with the door, your grandfather is drunk."
Li Zhuiyuan opened the screen door, accompanied Runsheng to settle Li Sanjiang on the bed. Li Sanjiang's face was flushed, looking utterly inebriated.
Afterwards, Li Zhuiyuan accompanied Runsheng back outside.
"What on earth happened?"
The old man loved his drink, but not to the extent of drinking this early in the morning.
Runsheng scratched his head, "Little Yuan, they transferred your registration to Grandpa's house. They also supposedly transferred your academic status and so forth."
Li Zhuiyuan was taken aback; it happened so quickly?
Last night on the phone, when Li Lan mentioned transferring his registration, he suggested it be under Li Sanjiang. Apparently, Li Lan took the hint.
Of course, it would be strange if she didn't understand. Between the two of them, they implicitly understood the other's mind.
But this time, not only was the efficiency surprisingly high, but the academic status was moved too. It seemed that whatever project Li Lan was involved in now was crucial, so much so that exceptions were made, and not even the old professors could stop it.
"Little Yuan, I'm off to eat buns."
"Alright, you go ahead, Runsheng Brother."
After Runsheng went downstairs, Li Zhuiyuan took a washcloth and basin. He then re-opened the door to Li Sanjiang's room.
Li Sanjiang lay on the bed, his left arm draped across his forehead, legs splayed out.
Zhuiyuan wrung the washcloth dry and handed it to him.
"Grandpa, wipe your face."
Sanjiang didn't budge.
"Grandpa, your drinking capacity is great; you're not drunk. If you were truly asleep, you'd be snoring."
"Ugh..." Li Sanjiang opened his eyes, looking at Zhuiyuan by the bed, "Little Lord Yuan, Grandpa made a mistake."
"No, Grandpa took me in."
"You're too young; you might not realize what a household registration in the capital means."
"Grandpa, that's not so important."
"What would you know, kid? When you grow up, you'll regret it. Listen to Grandpa. Try reaching out to your northern grandfather's side. Let them fix this for you."
"Grandpa, my surname is Li now."
"Sigh, what kind of situation did your mom create? Even if you don't care, Grandpa feels bad, really feels like he's done you wrong. Little kid's future, just ruined like that."
"Grandpa, it’s alright. At worst, I'll be like my...like my mom, just get into a major city university."
"Oh right, schooling! Nearly forgot!"
Li Sanjiang sprang up from bed with a kip flip, hurried to the stool, and opened the bag that held the registration booklet and other records.
"Grandpa still needs to find a school for you, how about Shinan Primary? Forget it, better head to Shigang's, it's bigger."
"Primary school..."
"Let me tell you, Little Lord Yuan, during vacation you can have your fun, but once school starts, can't fall behind, gotta put your heart into studies."
"Grandpa, do you know anyone in the school?"
"Can't find if I don't know? Even without direct contacts, there are indirect ones who can accept a good payment. I heard they divide classes by ability in schools. We'll put in the effort and get you into a good class. Oh right, which grade are you in, Little Yuan?"
"Grandpa, that Uncle Tan from last time seemed nice."
"Uncle Tan, which Uncle Tan?"
"The captain from the police station."
"Only met twice, not familiar at all. Besides, he's not with the school."
"Shigang Town isn't that big. His help would be convenient. He invited me over not too long ago to play at his house; I'll take the records, and ask him."
"Okay, then. Grandpa will go with you then."
"No need, if he can't help, it’s less embarrassing with just me. It’s more apt for a child to ask."
"Alright, let's keep it that way, for now. You ask when you go, and I'll try finding someone here too."
Seeing that Sanjiang agreed, Zhuiyuan secretly sighed in relief.
He's not ready to leave here, but he also doesn't want to be hastily enrolled into primary by Grandfather.
Though contact with Captain Tan was limited, Tan owed him a favor, most likely he'll assist in skipping grades, ideally up to the third year of high school.
That way, in a year, he could sit for the college entrance exam.
To shorten that time, there's also the option of participating in the national math Olympiad held every winter for a guaranteed admission.
As for where he might attend college? Given Li Lan doesn't want to see him, he'll avoid wherever Li Lan is.
One name occurred to Zhuiyuan, a school whose name and programs seem fitting for his current self... Haihe University.
With that thought, Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but silently chuckle.
Brother Liangliang, seems like we’ll truly be schoolmates in the future.
While Sanjiang was racking his brain about his network of contacts, Zhuiyuan went back to reading.
When Aunt Liu called for lunch, he set the book aside and went downstairs.
Seated on his small stool, he noticed the space beside him empty, and the little plate for the girl wasn't set on the table, creating a distinct sense of emptiness in his heart.
He glanced over, seeing Ah Li's small dining table moved to the east room where Yumei was picking out and sorting food for her, trying to persuade her to eat.
Finally, Ah Li picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
Yumei nodded in satisfaction, though when she stood again, an ache seized her waist. Previously, a single word from the boy was all it took for Ah Li to eat; there was no need for her to persuade for so long.
In an instant, a sense of urgency flared up in her heart. Aging as she was, if Ah Li's ailment remained uncured by the time she passes, who would take care of Ah Li?
Later, Sanjiang came down to eat as well. Upon seeing Zhuiyuan seated alone, he checked and saw the girl was sitting indoors instead, he slammed his chopsticks down and said with displeasure:
“What’s this? Our Little Lord Yuan merely lost his capital registration, and suddenly no one wants to eat with him?”
Just as he finished speaking, Panzi and Leizi came running over, sweating profusely.
“Grandpa, Grandpa, something’s happened at Sihaizi’s fish pond. As they were retrieving nets, suddenly a large swath of red water surfaced, like blood. Sihaizi and the few who were netting in the pond have their skin peeling off!”
“Grandpa, they’ve asked us to bring you over to have a look.”
“What?” Sanjiang shot up, “Runsheng, let’s go, check it out!”
Hearing the description, Zhuiyuan silently mused: Earthly dark red evil?
Yumei brushed her hair aside, pondering. How could such a thing occur in this area?
Reluctantly setting down his meal bowl, Runsheng followed Sanjiang.
Zhuiyuan stayed back; until he confirmed his personal fortune problem was resolved, he wouldn’t go near water.
Returning to the second floor, he opened his book again and continued to read.
Given it’s just earthly dark red evil, Grandpa shouldn't face any real danger, as it’s a formation that only arises in bait chambers.
Throughout history, treasures were not solely interred atop famous mountains or along auspicious veins; in fact, many ancients chose to bury things in waterways, such as tombs, temples, or hoards.
As silt accumulates and river courses shift, the transformation from “land to sea and vice versa” occurs more rapidly, making it harder to track.
Earthly dark red evil is a traditional fengshui trap formation. Once triggered, it forcibly releases its contents, washing them away along the water's flow to harm intruders.
But typically, they serve as bait chambers—intentionally set traps meant to target water monkeys.
However, this also indicates that somewhere nearby could be a main chamber. What lies inside it remains unknown.
Zhuyuan had no interest in seeking it out. Where earthly dark red evil is the mechanism in place, it implies construction was an “active burial”; flexible waterborne structures built to move with hydrological changes over time.
Thus, back when constructed, the bait and main chambers might have been aligned properly, but now—who knows how scattered they’ve become? Even if you find one bait chamber, calculating the main chamber’s position is impractical.
Four Seas Family was unlucky. Their fish pond either happened to get dug atop a bait chamber, or else the chamber shifted under it.
If neither scenario were true, it could suggest much worse: water monkeys could’ve indeed been hooked.
Zhuyuan spent the entire afternoon reading. Both Grandpa and Runsheng didn’t return until supper.
Over dinner, Sanjiang recounted what happened at Four Seas’ place.
Two outsiders sought to lease the fishpond for expensive turtle farming, so even before harvest time, Four Seas cleared it out to lease it.
At noon, while in the pond netting, Four Seas and his son had their skin corrode along with the two outsiders assisting them. All four were so horribly burned, it looked as though they’d been plunged into limewater. Though still alive and dispatched to the hospital, they were shocking to behold.
The villagers were spooked. Sanjiang performed a ritual that afternoon, after which the blood-red water receded. The villagers all said Old Man Sanjiang had subdued some evil spirit.
At this point, Sanjiang complacently stroked his chin, downing another gulp of wine.
Zhuyuan surmised that perhaps earthly red evil fully discharged its contents, effectively emptying the pond into the bait chamber.
Additionally, those two outsiders were indeed diligent fellows, not only offering high lease prices but even joining to clear the pond.
After supper, Zhuyuan intended to train his martial stance upstairs but was intercepted by a cryptic Runsheng.
“Little Yuan, come over here.”
He led him beside the tricycle, revealing an ancient shovel beneath a white tarp.
“Little Yuan, do you see it? This spade has the same structure as our yellow river shovel, though ours is far superior.”
Zhuyuan accepted the tool, experimented with unfolding and reshaping—its core structure was comparable to the yellow river shovel, but lacking in finer details.
Still, it was old, with multiple repaired spots; clearly an artifact belonging to a bygone era.
“Runsheng Brother, did you pick this up at the pond today?”
“Yes, I didn’t dare tell Grandpa, silently brought it back, because I caught a whiff of corpse stench on it.”
Zhuyuan got closer and took a sniff. Although he didn’t detect it, he trusted Runsheng’s instincts. Drowning victims’ odors became something professional retrievers were usually unnervingly adept at recognizing.
“Was it those two outsiders'?”
“Dunno, when we arrived, all four were seriously hurt. This thing was just lying by the bank.”
“You did very well, Runsheng Brother.”
“Ah... I thought you might blame me for stealing.”
“It’s no ordinary object.”
An ancient imitation of a yellow river shovel, with the scent of aquatic corpses lingering, clearly suggested items used by that group of water monkeys.
Water monkeys refer to underwater burglars—thieves who, if discovered, would drown their witnesses to silence them. Tales describing replacement death curses spread far and wide.
“Little Yuan, does it serve any use?”
“Yes, it does, Runsheng Brother. If you encounter such a scent again, please remember to notify me promptly.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Oh, and Runsheng Brother, come play cards with me.”
“What, play cards?” Memories of Little Yuan dominating the house with card games flashed through his mind. From Runsheng’s perspective, Little Yuan was the spitting image of the gambling god—Gao Jin.
“A few rounds, no stakes involved.”
Inside the drawer lay an opened card deck. Zhuyuan and Runsheng sat opposite each other. Runsheng shuffled and dealt; straightforward three-card brag, showing hands directly.
Over twenty rounds, Runsheng won eight, Zhuyuan twelve.
Next, they swapped so Zhuyuan shuffled and dealt. After twenty rounds, Zhuyuan won nine—Runsheng eleven.
It seemed like the unusual fortune he once had disappeared.
But what price did he pay?
Sitting there, continuing to toy with the deck, Zhuyuan awaited an opportunity for a grand move. Yet that move eluded him.
Oh well, no point dwelling on it. Tomorrow morning, he'll play cards again with Runsheng to test the odds. If they remain normal, then it’ll be safe to go out.
East Room:
As Aunt Liu combed Yumei’s hair, she sighed, “Little Yuan’s registry ended up here. Poor child, struck a massive setback.”
“A massive setback? Maybe the kid himself feels nothing about it.”
“Perhaps he's too young, simply not understanding?”
“A-Ting, you have interacted with him. Do you truly think he’s just a child?”
“No, not at all.”
“To common folks, encountering something like this might devastate one’s fortune for life, impossible to recover from. But this ladder of rules primarily caters to ordinary people—to genuine talents, it matters not.
“In times of peace, reaching greater heights is at one’s whim, possessing myriad ways to succeed—mere mortals cannot comprehend.”
“You’re right—indeed so.”
“But this might work well enough. Previously, I was worried he'd depart after summer break ends. It seems he’ll stay a while longer.”
"Is there a way to heal Ah Li's illness, Little Yuan?"
"He says he has a method, but he needs to read some books."
"What kind of method is this?"
"Let's just wait and see. We're old now, and we can't understand the ways of the young."
...
The next morning, when Li Zhuiyuan woke up, he habitually turned his head to look at the chair by the door, which was still empty.
"Sigh..."
After getting up and washing, Li Zhuiyuan read for a while outside. When he went down for breakfast, Ah Li was still absent.
After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan dragged Runsheng to play cards with him, just like the night before. The outcome of winning and losing was quite balanced.
Feeling at ease, he decided he could go out now.
...
"Morning, Captain Tan."
"Morning, Captain Tan."
"Morning to you all."
Tan Yunlong, dressed in casual clothes, rode his motorcycle into the building, greeting colleagues along the way.
It was late morning as he had taken leave to arrive later, having gone to his son's school early to meet with the teachers.
The summer break for students who would advance from second year high school to third year was short, and they had already returned to class. His son got into a big fight outside campus last night, nearly causing a brawl.
Yet, he did not blame his son since he was defending a bullied classmate.
Tan Yunlong was always easygoing about his son's studies, thinking the grades weren't the most important thing. As long as his son had good values, that was enough.
This was why, when he had to transfer jobs, he insisted on having his son transfer to a school near where he worked, even if it meant arguing with his wife. He needed to keep an eye on the boy.
Having been an officer for a long time, he had seen too much wickedness. He knew that if he didn't guide his son's character well, no amount of education would mean anything.
As he entered the office building, colleagues continued to greet him warmly. Although there had been a serious case in the area, it was solved quickly, garnering him praise.
Even the director hinted he should use this opportunity to seek a transfer back since his old connections were still there, and with the merit from solving the case, it would be a smooth move.
But Tan Yunlong was in no rush to act since he quite liked working at the town's police station.
Opening his office door, he paused briefly before smiling softly and then closing the door.
He picked up the kettle, made a cup of tea, and handed it to the boy in front of him.
The boy took out a newspaper-wrapped item from beside his feet and opened it to reveal a shovel.
Artifacts unearthed should belong to the state, and privately taking them is illegal, often with the sales channels spanning overseas, so reporting it quickly is crucial.
After listening to the boy's brief recount, Tan Yunlong stood up to arrange people to control the medical ward and then shut the door after returning to his seat, watching Li Zhuiyuan sip tea continuously without putting the cup down.
"It seems you have something to ask of me this time."
"Yes, Uncle Tan. I want to ask you to help me enroll in school. Here are my documents."
Tan Yunlong looked through the papers, puzzled. "What kind of operation is this?"
"I want to go to school."
"Alright, I can contact the town's primary school for you. What grade were you in before?" Tan Yunlong checked the education record carefully.
"Is the youth class part of the primary school? Look at the university name; tsk tsk, you were in the primary school affiliated with this university?"
"I want to skip grades."
"Jumping to the sixth grade? I know the education resources in the capital are good, but here, competition among students is also quite fierce. Just talking about exam ability, it’s not necessarily better here than in the capital."
"The third year of high school."
"Hmm, third year of high school...what?" Tan Yunlong looked up at the boy. "You're not joking?"
"Uncle Tan, if you can just help me arrange the process for jumping grades, I can handle the exams and tests myself."
Li Zhuiyuan knew that jump-grade policies existed everywhere and many classmates in his class had jumped grades like this.
"Really?" Tan Yunlong seemed intrigued. "You sound as if, had the college entrance exam not ended, you could be preparing for it directly."
"No, I still want to stay here for a while longer. I can’t bear to leave."
"In that case, I can help you, but to avoid making a joke of myself, you'll have to come over for dinner at my place tonight; my son is also about to enter the third year of high school."
"Not tonight. Tomorrow or the day after works."
Seeing the boy so calm and composed, Tan Yunlong couldn’t help but believe him a little more. “Are you one of those prodigy kids?”
Li Zhuiyuan hesitated momentarily. A more fitting label might be ‘ailing child.’
"Then why are you involved in that?" Tan Yunlong gestured with his hand, referring to salvage work.
Li Zhuiyuan responded firmly this time.
"For fun, it's interesting."
"If you're truly such a talent, you should study hard and repay the nation."
"Aren't I already doing that?"
"I didn’t mean that. Fine then, tomorrow night, I'll come to pick you up from your place; I remember where you live."
"Alright." Li Zhuiyuan stood and bowed to Tan Yunlong. "Thank you, Uncle."
Tan Yunlong stood too and gently patted the boy’s head, “It’s Uncle who should be thanking you.”
Before noon, Li Zhuiyuan took Runsheng’s tricycle back home.
Several masons were there, building a house in the rear wing.
Aunt Liu approached with a smile, saying to Li Zhuiyuan, “Your grand-greatfather had just asked what was happening. I told him it's for your crafts room, and he simply nodded, without inquiries, and turned in to get money, which I refused, saying we have enough. He asked where it came from, and I said it was money Runsheng won from cards."
"Hehe."
Nearby, Runsheng showed a silly grin.
Li Zhuiyuan reminded him, "Brother Runsheng, you better run now."
"Why?"
Suddenly, from the main house, a figure burst forth, wielding a wicker cane used for paper crafting, aiming straight for Runsheng.
"I told you not to follow bad examples, learning from your family nuisance gambling with cards; I'll beat you to death!"
Runsheng fled, and Grand-greatfather chased him.
The two ran around the fields in front of the porch, playing tag.
Li Zhuiyuan inwardly marveled at his grand-greatfather's fitness.
The cold had swiftly passed, and with his fortunes restored, Grand-greatfather returned to normal.
Then, Li Zhuiyuan turned toward the east room. Ah Li still sat beyond the threshold, perfectly still like a finely crafted sculpture.
In recent days, lacking the girl's company, reading really became just reading.
Liu Yumei gesticulated, urging Li Zhuiyuan to try engaging Ah Li again.
He did not, going instead straight to his room on the second floor. He was nearly finished with "Liu Family's Qi Observation Technique."
Several nights he burned the midnight oil, gradually increasing his pace.
Liu Yumei, seated on a chair, looked up at the second floor, feeling a rising sense of frustration. Once annoyed by her granddaughter's closeness with the boy, now all she wished was for them to return to their former intimacy.
But the boy was engrossed in his books day in, day out. Why wouldn't he give it a try? You never know unless you try first! Girls need to be coaxed!
Growing up, Ah Li had just one playmate. Liu Yumei could hardly believe there was no remaining affection for the boy.
After lunch, Li Zhuiyuan continued reading, and by the afternoon, he finally completed the book.
He leaned back in his chair, using the brief repose to absorb and digest the book's entire content.
His eyes were shut, but images from the book formed weather scenes and vistas in his mind, while his hands performed an intricate symphony, as if he were orchestrating diverse watery realms.
Books of this ilk resist rote memorization; mastery demands a profound understanding akin to the appreciation of art, signaling a true beginner’s grasp.
Beads of sweat dotted his face as he moved between furrowing and relaxing his brow.
Finally, organized and distilled, the boy opened his eyes, exhaustion etched in his gaze.
Sitting up, he realized his face was sticky. Blood had streamed from his nose, staining his clothes red.
Li Zhuiyuan recognized this as a stark warning from his fatigued mind through his own body.
In such a short span, thoroughly digesting "Liu's Qi Observation Technique" was an enormous challenge, even for someone like him. Though he succeeded, it was clear such exertions couldn’t be frequent; the risk was him breaking down physically before mentally.
After cleaning himself up, showering, and changing clothes, Li Zhuiyuan informed Aunt Liu he was too tired to join dinner before heading to the rear quarters.
Li Sanjiang and Runsheng assisted the masons, pitching in as they built the workroom adjacent to the main house. It would be complete before nightfall.
Li Zhuiyuan told Li Sanjiang that he wouldn't be eating dinner, having studied late the previous night, and intended to rest.
This was primarily to avoid worry and ensure Grand-greatfather wouldn’t come checking on him and disrupt his rest.
Hearing this, Li Sanjiang's eyes turned red at once, urging Li Zhuiyuan to go to bed.
After Li Zhuiyuan’s departure, Li Sanjiang wiped his eyes with the back of his hand:
"He says it doesn’t matter to make me feel better, but Little Lord Yuan is worried too; listen, he never used to focus on study late into the night."
As he returned from the rear to the front of the house, when passing the eastern room's doorway, Li Zhuiyuan had to walk carefully to one side, ensuring a considerable gap. Any breach of this distance would elicit reactions from Ah Li.
At a safe remove, Li Zhuiyuan paused and gazed at the girl for quite a while.
Once, he had worried—would he struggle with not seeing Ah Li after returning to the capital? But now such worries were unfounded. Adjustment proved impossible.
Just as Ah Li had come to terms with darkness, he was accustomed to his own assorted masks.
Experiences might yield such familiarity, yet this surety made return impossible.
"Little Yuan, come have some tea with Grandma."
"No, Grandma, I’m tired; I’m heading off to sleep."
Returning to his room, Li Zhuiyuan lay on his bed, falling asleep quickly; he was genuinely worn out.
Sleeping deeply until the late night, upon waking, he left for his grand-greatfather’s room to fetch some items. The grand-greatfather was in a deep slumber, impervious to thunder's noise.
Next, he descended to the ground floor, where the television displayed static color images.
Runsheng lay cuddling a little black dog on a mat by the table, both asleep.
In Runsheng’s hands, the little black dog mostly nested in its corner slumber; even with its presence overlooked for days.
"Brother Runsheng, wake up."
"Uh… What is it, Little Yuan?"
"Brother Runsheng, come with me for a bit; bring the tools."
"Okay!"
Li Zhuiyuan picked some incense candles and kitchen provisions. Seeing Runsheng prepared to ride a tricycle, he said:
"Brother Runsheng, it’s close. We’ll walk."
"Sure." Runsheng followed with a sack of supplies, lowering his voice, "Are we going to take them down?"
"Who?"
"Those guys leasing the fish pond."
"They’re under the police."
"Then what are we doing?"
"Seeking help."
Runsheng checked the bags he carried and then glanced at the offerings in Li Zhuiyuan's hands.
"Is this necessary for asking help?"
Li Zhuiyuan led Runsheng to a fish pond across from Big Beard’s house.
His wife had already left with their eldest son. They intended to sell the place, but the land wasn’t appealing to outsiders and with its grim reputation freshly marked by a drowning, few dared tackle the low price.
In effect, this formed one of the more isolated corners of the village.
Li Zhuiyuan stood up by the fish pond, closing his eyes before slowly reopening them, mentally summoning details from "Liu's Qi Observation Technique."
He had led Little Yellow Oriole here before; now, he needed to know if it still remained.
The water’s colors, the aquatic plants’ state, the landscape’s breezes: all these minute details assembled into a tapestry in Li Zhuiyuan’s mind.
He walked slowly along the pond, scrutinizing closely, eventually confirming the presence of hidden remains within the water’s depths.
Little Yellow Oriole was still here.
"Brother Runsheng, dig a small hole here, another one over there, and there. Place the incense."
“On it.” Runsheng busily wielded the yellow river shovel.
Li Zhuiyuan cast offerings to certain spots in the pond and positioned two lit candles on the southwest side by the welcoming spot.
With these preparations made, Li Zhuiyuan took up a stack of paper money, lighting it with the candles.
"Brother Runsheng, unless I tell you, don't intervene; keep your distance and follow later."
Runsheng dutifully moved away, confused at the word, "follow us?"
Li Zhuiyuan held the burning paper aloft, chanting:
"I'm Li Zhuiyuan, requesting your resurfacing; a thank-you service will follow thereafter."
"Smack!"
The paper seeped into the soil, extinguished.
Li Zhuiyuan turned his back on the pond, grasping the incense burner left with one hand while ringing a bell with the other.
Despite his distance, Runsheng clearly saw ripples emanating over the pond’s surface until a long-haired woman's shadow slowly emerged upon the shore.
A drowning spirit!
Runsheng's breaths grew rapid; part of him wanted to shout warnings, but rational thought intervened—Li Zhuiyuan had summoned it himself.
His mind quickly veered: my goodness, Little Yuan could beckon spirits!
Throughout his youth following his grandfather's corpse-retrieving, they had only ever responded to corpses; never had he dreamed of this active approach!
How on earth did Little Yuan achieve this?
Upon feeling two cold hands on his shoulders, Li Zhuiyuan experienced a sudden weight, moisture seeping into his clothes.
This familiar sensation, back once more.
But this time, he was less afraid. To be safe, though, he called on Runsheng.
“Jingle, jingle, jingle…”
The crisp sound of the bell accompanied Li Zhuiyuan’s forward steps, the shadow following at pace.
Under the moonlight,
Contrasting figures, one tall, one short, silhouetted together.
...
In the eastern room’s bedroom, Liu Yumei gently fanned a breeze for Ah Li, who lay awake.
Once, that boy would lull Ah Li to sleep each night, prompting her eagerness each morning to dress and groom her way to meet him.
A sudden intuition prompted Liu Yumei to glance out the window before looking back to see Ah Li’s eyes drifting shut.
“What...is this...what is…”
Despite being experienced, Liu Yumei was momentarily silenced by amazement. It took a while before she recalled words spoken by the boy days prior:
"Grandma, Ah Li is in her room now. If only I could bring her out, I could then properly apologize to her face."
Liu Yumei's face settled into a helpless yet amused grin:
"Maybe this is how young folks arrange night encounters now?"
...
With the bell and incense burner in hand, Li Zhuiyuan approached the embankment and halted.
Gradually, he closed his eyes.
Though damp cold enveloped him unpleasantly, he forced himself into a sleep-like state.
In truth, he need not truly sleep; all it took was entering a hazy trance to walk the shadowy path successfully.
As he gradually reopened his eyes, he first checked behind him—the long-haired figure in qipao remained. Ahead, however, Runsheng's presence was absent.
Yes, he had successfully dreamt.
"Please wait a moment. I'll see you safely returned shortly."
Saying so, Li Zhuiyuan set aside both the bell and incense burner, venturing forward independently.
Releasing the grip of those hands, the qipao figure stayed motionless, arms raised.
Li Zhuiyuan halted by the east room, soon joined by the arriving girl’s silhouette.
For once, her gaze sought him out instead of averting like daylight.
The perfunctoriness, now, dispelled. Each stood facing each other—a boy, a girl, and a drowning spirit.
Earnestly looking at her, the boy asked,
"Ah Li, can you forgive me?"
(The chapter ends here)"